


Hunky Dory-Changes

by QuietBubbles



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-04-20
Packaged: 2018-10-20 03:29:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10653969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuietBubbles/pseuds/QuietBubbles
Summary: As his friends figure out how to pass their OWLs, how to become animagi and how to win Lily Evans, Remus can't figure anything out at all. Perhaps he is not alone...but one thing is for sure. With the First Wizarding War waging around them, and Remus battling every day inside his own head, things are going to change no matter what...Marauders and Wolfstar pairing.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first posting on this site! Hope you enjoy. More chapters to come soon. Best wishes.
> 
> WARNING-Descriptions of wounds, moderate language, moderate sex references, themes of depression.

There would be no question of going to charms that day. Remus was loathed to miss more of Flitwick’s lessons, but though he had spent yesterday in recovery, he could not physically bring himself to leave his bed. It was not so much the sickness, which had almost subsided. In truth, he was unsure why. But even the dread of his OWLs looming that summer could not force him to throw open the scarlet curtains around him and simply get up. 

The newest scratches and bites had crusted over by now, hard and scarlet on his pale skin. Remus wished for the thousandth time that he could afford his own dittany. Madam Pomfrey had a reasonable supply in her stores, but he could not ask her for it, for on close inspection of him she would know instantly what sort of creature could have made those marks. James had offered to steal some for him, but he could not bring himself to abet such a thing. He simply rubbed alcohol into the worst of them to prevent infection and covered them with sleeves and sometimes gloves until they faded. The worst of it came when The Other had, in his frustration, began to claw at his own face. Then the questions would come. 

Luckily, his friends always had his back. "Oh, those? He was rowing on the lake and had to fight off some mermen with nothing but his oars. He’s dealing with some Devil’s Snare in the kitchen for Professor Sprout-it’s found where the knives are kept. He rescued a first-year from a Blast-Ended Skrewt. Lucky to be alive. What a bloody hero, hey, ladies?" The corner of Remus’ mouth twitched. Sometimes he still could not believe how lucky he was to have friends like James, Peter and Sirius…but then again, as he listened to his roommates waking up around him, maybe he could. 

“Peter, if you don’t stop farting all night, I will personally shove a cork up your arse,” came the croaky morning voice of James Potter. Rustling around him told Remus that his friends were dressing to go down for breakfast. “It’s like we’ve got a leaky Bubotuber in here.”

“Sorry,” Peter said meekly, sounding as if he was pulling his head through a school sweater. “Do we have Slughorn first?”

“Flitwick,” James answered-Remus could tell he was grinning now. “Bless the day the old bugger stuck me on the desk opposite Evans. And bless the day he put her in front of the window. When she stretches, I can see right through her-“ 

“Yes, James, we’ve all heard these joyous tidings,” came a third drawling voice. “Flitwick must be overjoyed that his lessons make you so very excited.” 

“Jealousy doesn’t become you, dear,” James retorted, his voice a pantomime. “Just because someone fancies me over you for once.” 

“You know perfectly well that she does not fancy you,” Sirius’ voice was bouncing off the mirror on their wall as he checked his hair. “She’d rather go out with bloody Snivellus.”

“No way,” James’ voice had developed a slight edge to it. “No way they’re together. She wouldn’t touch him with a barge pole. No girl in their right mind would.” 

Remus felt as if he was listening to this conversation from a very long way away, as if he was cut off from them all in his own bubble. Nothing seemed to be reaching him quite right. Still, no matter how hard he willed himself with images of Ts on his OWL results, he could not get out of bed. The more he tried, the more futile it all seemed. He could feel his new cuts stinging as the soft, warm sheets rubbed against them. 

“I reckon if he ever got round to snogging a girl he’d get so excited he’d snot all over her!” Peter giggled in his usual high-pitched way for a little too long at this relatively unfunny comment-but James had begun to laugh, probably glad to steer away from this topic.

“Yeah, probably. Come on then, I want to get the good slices of bacon, not the slimy ones from the bottom of the tray,” James’ confident footsteps could be heard striding towards the door. “Hurry up, Sirius, or I swear I’ll curse your hair off.” 

“You and Peter go ahead,” Sirius said distractedly. “I don’t care about bacon. Thinking of going veggie, actually.” 

“What?” James let out a bark of disbelieving laughter. “You? You, who ate a whole chicken single-handedly last weekend? You can’t go veggie-it’ll be Christmas next month and Mum’s planning on positively choking us with food.” 

“I don’t know,” said Sirius, still thoughtful at the mirror. “Feels a bit weird, doesn’t it, eating animals when we’re all trying to become them?”

There was a slight shift in the atmosphere as Sirius mentioned their great secret project. As usual, Remus felt a slight twist of guilt inside him at all of the work and the great risks his friends were taking for his sake. 

“Indeed. I wondered whether it was a bit barbaric, or something. A bit old-fashioned.” said Sirius, a hint of haughtiness in his tone. “Also, it would really piss off my parents.”

James chuckled, relaxed once again. “Knew there was something else in it. Come on then. Beans on toast it is.” 

“Think I’d suit a ponytail?” Sirius mused, not moving. 

“You’d suit anything,” said Peter, half admiring, half envious. “Anyway, where’s Moony?” 

Remus started a little at the sound of his newish nickname. He still had not completely gotten used to it. Nor was he sure that he particularly liked it, given its origin. There was a short silence as Remus knew each of his roommates had directed their gaze towards his bed. He stayed completely still, like an animal playing dead to avoid capture. For some reason, he found that he did not particularly feel like talking to his friends this morning. Except perhaps-

“Moony?” James had called, his voice as boisterous as ever. “Are you coming down or what?” 

Nothing.

“Ah well,” The heavy door creaked as James pulled it open. “Don’t worry, mate, we’ll tell Flitwick it’s your time of the month.” Laughing almost as loud as Peter was at his own joke, the two left, heavy feet thundering down the stairs of Gryffindor tower towards the common room. 

Remus pulled the bedclothes further up to his neck. He knew he could not afford to miss another full day of school-but his bones were so heavy…he would make it to Potions this afternoon somehow, he knew that Slughorn loathed absences. But for now, he lay quietly, staring up at the ceiling and wishing that his cuts would stop stinging quite so much…it was all so much effort these days. Everything was.

“Moony?” came that same drawlingly careless tone from outside the curtains. Remus jumped a little-he had forgotten for a moment that he was not alone. “You alright, mate?” 

Remus bit his tongue-then sighed a little. “Yeah,” he called back, trying hard to sound normal. “I’ll come down at lunchtime. Thanks…mate.” 

There was a slight rustling from outside the curtains-then a hand appeared through the gap and tossed something into Remus’ lap. “That’s James’s, don’t tell him. Not that he’ll miss it, his parents send him half of Honeydukes every other week. Hope you feel better.” 

Sirius’ footsteps padded across the room, then the door banged shut behind him. Remus looked down to see a large packet of chocoballs-his favourite sweet. He felt his cheeks flush with pleasure-and surprise. Sirius was never this thoughtful. Then again, perhaps it was easier to be generous with someone else’s things. Remus managed to smile as he cracked open the packet and crammed two into his mouth at once, relishing the sweet clotted cream and silky milk chocolate. Chocolate was truly one of life’s greatest pleasures-he was sure given the opportunity and the funds the he could eat his own weight in the stuff. For a few minutes as he chewed his way through the packet, he quite forgot every one of his troubles. Wherever this sudden streak of tact had come from in Sirius, he was extremely grateful…as he tried to ignore the sudden and strange tightening feeling inside his chest...


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thank you so much for all of your reading and kudos! Not quite sure what they are, but thank you! More soon, hope you enjoy this x

“…now your Strengthening Solutions have matured, we will proceed to the final stages before testing them. And no, Mayhall-as you well know the use of this potion is prohibited in all wizarding sports, including this weekend’s Quidditch semi-final!” Professor Slughorn twinkled down at the Slytherin Beater, who chuckled good-naturedly and put his volunteering hand down, albeit a little disappointed. Within moments of this comment, James had grabbed his quill and began hastily to sketch on a scrap piece of parchment. Peter watched in earnest, bursting into silent fits of giggles as James’s doodle became a rather cruel cartoon of Mayhall with muscles so engorged that his broom could not take his weight. From Remus’s other side, Sirius gave a bark-like laugh, which he quickly turned into a cough as Slughorn’s beady eyes were cast in their direction. Remus merely snorted, concentrating solely on the contents of his cauldron, which was emitting a rather worrying orange mist. 

“Now, what do we have here? Oh dear, Thompson, you added pomegranate juice to this, didn’t you?” 

“While he’s over there, did we get any work from Flitwick? Or McGonagall?” Remus hissed to James, who was basking in Peter’s attention.

“Blimey mate, if I miss a lesson I don’t bother with the homework,” he answered, rolling his eyes. “But yeah-something on Tickling Charms from Flitters and an essay on Doubling spells from Gonny. She was pissed you didn’t show. Daresay she’ll be asking you up to her office for a cosy little chat.”

Remus bit his lip, stirring his cauldron in the instructed anti-clockwise direction. 

“Poor Moony,” said Peter sympathetically, as his own cauldron spat violently. “Tell her a sob story. When I didn’t hand in my cross-species transfiguration essay last year I told her my gran had died. Worked like a charm. She even gave me a Ginger Newt.” 

James snorted in surprise. “Merlin’s pants! You cheeky bastard.” 

“Well, they both pegged it before I was born, so I don’t feel too bad,” Peter shrugged. “Here, your Solution isn’t purple like mine. Have I got it wrong?” 

“Probably,” Sirius murmured darkly, flipping through his textbook in the hope of finding something helpful. Remus found himself watching him, momentarily forgetting the disconcertingly pale yellow liquid in his cauldron. Sirius did not appear to have cut his dark hair in some time; it had grown long whilst still somehow managing to look healthy, falling carelessly about his face as he leaned over the pages. Remus hated to think what his own mousy hair would look like if he tried to attempt such a trendy look. Somehow, Sirius pulled it off with seemingly no effort at all-it was his high cheekbones, thick eyebrows and carelessly cool exterior that even James could never quite match…

“Why, Miss Evans, this is almost perfect!” came Professor Slughorn’s voice from across the classroom. Instantly-James’s head snapped up at the sound of her name. Slughorn was letting a spoonful of sunflower-coloured potion fall back into Lily’s cauldron with a satisfied, rather toad-like smile on his face. “You’ve almost got it! Almost! I daresay you’re five minutes stirring from an Outstanding there. Five points to Gryffindor!” 

James burst into applause, half-serious, half sending her up, joined sarcastically by Sirius and Peter. Remus noticed the slightest rolling of Lily’s vivid green eyes as she ignored James, getting hurriedly back to work. 

“But, needless to say who wins the day here!” Slughorn piped up once again as he peered into Lily’s neighbouring cauldron. A pale, lank-haired boy was scribbling annotations into his textbook, long nose inches from the parchment-but he looked up to offer a thin smile to his head of house. “Beautiful work, Snape! Simply beautiful! And a deserved five points to Slytherin!” 

James rolled his eyes, running a hand through his hair to deliberately mess it up a little more. “Bloody creep. Snivelling over his cauldron like that, scribbling all over his book. He’d sleep with Slughorn if it meant an O.” 

By Severus’s carefully aimed kick to the leg of his table, Remus gathered that he was not entirely out of earshot. Remus could see Lily muttering out of the corner of her mouth to her friend: “Ignore him, he’s not worth it…” He felt a twinge of guilt in his stomach, as he often did when James and Sirius so openly bullied Severus. If he were braver, he would surely have spoken up for Lily’s sake if no one else’s. He watched her pull her pony tail tighter, her long red hair curling slightly past her shoulders, and thought on what an exceptionally kind girl she was. He had nursed a mild crush on her during their first year as a result of it-but his feelings had soon subsided as James’s became noisier. Still, he enjoyed her company immensely, sometimes going to study in the library with her, sometimes working together in the common room-and of course their shared prefect duties. Still, his mind boggled as to exactly why she chose to hang around with old Snivellus so much…

“Hey,” Sirius leaned over suddenly, bringing Remus out of his thoughts. “Can I borrow your quill?”

“Oh-of course.” Remus made to hand it over-but not before Peter had shoved his eagerly into Sirius’ hand. He hero-worshipped him-almost as much as he did James. It was amusing really, the way he looked at them both as if they were gods on earth, even after all this time. Especially since James was currently running his hands confidently through his hair so it looked windswept, though they’d been inside all day, for the benefit of two of their female classmates, who were watching him appreciatively. Despite this attention, he never quite mastered the careless handsomeness that Sirius seemed to have been born with-neither his effortless coolness. This was not helped by the fact that James’ hazel eyes flicked repeatedly over to Lily to see if she was watching him too (she was not). Still, it was easy to see why poor Peter idolised them both so much. Remus supposed he did too, somewhat. Especially Sirius. Especially him. 

“Oh-Mum said you’re all invited over the holidays. Drop by whenever you want.” James’s voice broke through his thoughts. “They love having the house full, Mum and Dad.” 

(Ah, the Potters. Remus positively adored them. Their door was always open to James’ motley crew of misfit school friends, and their hands again generously open. He wondered whether they were simply lonely-James was always such a presence, Remus could imagine that the house felt extremely empty without him. Especially a house that size…Remus would never forget the first time James invited them all over to stay during the summer holidays after their first year at Hogwarts. He remember packing his school trunk excitedly-the first time he was to visit a friend’s house in his life-thanking Merlin with all his heart that their week together did not coincide with the moon, for then his friends remained ignorant of his…affliction. He remembered dear Mother clucking over him worriedly, giving his jeans and sweater a final brush-down before he stepped into the fire. He remembered the pride with which Father patted his back as he threw a handful of Floo powder into the flames, helping him in with his luggage. This was all they had wanted-a normal life for their abnormal son. Remus had waved them goodbye with the biggest grin of his life, before shouting the Potter’s address and watching the living room vanish before his eyes.  
“Alright?” The next thing he knew, James was pulling him out of the fire at the other end. “Merlin’s pants, what have you got in your trunk, rocks? Madam Pomfrey’s arse? It weighs a ton! Oh, don’t tell me you’ve brought homework? I’ll send you back the other way!”  
Remus had been so happy to see James and so overwhelmed by his welcome that it took him a moment to take in his surroundings. He had found himself in an enormous drawing room, decorated beautifully in white and golden marble. He could see the ornate carvings of magical creatures on the fireplace, the chandelier from the ceiling-and through the French windows to his right, a huge balcony that lead onto the biggest garden he had ever seen.  
“This is my house.” James had said, unable to hide the pride in his voice.  
“What, all of it?” Remus had said, stupidly-to much laughter from James, and more from the doorway. He had look up to see Peter, clutching a Quaffle to his chest and guffawing-and behind him, Sirius. Beneath that sweep of dark hair and carved cheekbones, he had offered Remus a roguish grin that let him know that this was going to be the best week of his life.)

He had spent many more weeks since then staying with the Potters, and still hoped for further visits in future. Therefore, the prospect of spending some of the holidays in that marvellous mansion with his best friends was an extremely exciting prospect. Peter was already nodding a little too enthusiastically, smiling from ear to ear. “Mum will want me home for Christmas itself-how about the week before that?” he asked eagerly. 

“Don’t see why not,” James revelled in being the centre of attention, the one to whom everyone would owe their fun to. “How about you, Moony? Any foreseeable furry little problems?” 

Remus made a quick calculation-and sighed. “The 18th, I think. How about the 20th?” He smiled though-“furry little problem” had to be his favourite way that anyone referred to the Other. It made it almost seem light and funny. Almost.

“Suits me, sir,” James grinned. “Don’t have to ask you, Black-Mum’s started calling the spare room “Sirius’s room”.” 

“Bless her,” Sirius just smiled-but he looked genuinely touched. “Might stay with my cousin for a bit too.” 

“Your cousin?” James frowned. “Bellatrix? Narcissa?” 

“Merlin’s pants, no,” Sirius’s face screwed up in disgust. “I would be delighted never to set eyes on dear Bella again-and Cissy used to be alright, but her new boyfriend is a total twat. The snobbiest plonker you’ve ever set eyes on. All this long blonde hair between them-they looked positively related. Probably are, knowing my family and his. Ah well-if they get married, the Blacks and the Malfoys keep their precious purity-and their cash. Everyone’s happy.” he said, his voice casual, but his face rather bitter. Sirius almost never talked about his family-for every unspoken reason why.

“A Malfoy?” James made a face. “Yeah, we know them. Not sure their gene pool can handle any more inbreeding. God knows what a kid of theirs would turn out like. Three heads, probably.” 

“Probably,” Sirius agreed, snorting. “No, Dromeda. I’ll spend a weekend with her and her husband, Ted. He’s muggle-born-so clearly he’s Mum and Dad’s favourite person of all time. I’ll be sure to get a lovely picture with him to put up on the wall at home. They’ve got a daughter now-Nymphadora.” 

“Nymphadora?” James laughed out loud. “I mean, why bully your own kid when you can give them a stupid name and the other kids will do it for you?” 

“In all fairness, and I hate to speak badly of a friend’s kin, that is a stupid name.” Remus agreed disinterestedly, peering into his cauldron and getting a face-full of hot orange smoke. “Poor girl. Do you think I should keep stirring this?”

“I’d step away if I were you,” said Sirius. “Even your prefect badge is sweating. Yeah, Dromeda might be more evolved in her views on blood, but she’s yet to realise that names can be less than three syllables. Ah well. At least I’m not called Regulus. Anything to get away from Mummy’s little prince this Christmas.” 

Remus was always rather fascinated to hear about Sirius’ family-the infamous Blacks. Sirius had told him that the mention of his own father’s name, Lyall Lupin, at the dinner table had resulted in sniffs and grunts of disapproval, owing to the fact that he had married a muggle. Remus had been rather shocked-his whole life he had worried about nothing but the stigma attached to the creature who had contaminated his blood-and now he was discovering that the fact his mother was a muggle made him a second-class citizen in some wizarding eyes because of that same “dirty” blood. He wondered vaguely how families like the Blacks and Malfoys might react if they knew how dirty his blood truly was…Still, despite how truly awful Sirius’s family sounded, he still could not imagine not wanting to see his parents over the holidays. He looked over to him, all those careless good looks and effortless coolness-and found himself pitying him. He, the poor werewolf, was pitying perhaps the wealthiest, handsomest and most well-connected boy in the room. How peculiar. 

“Right, shall we take a look at this then, Pettigrew? Move over, Potter, let's see-oh! Merlin’s beard! Aguamenti! Aguamenti!”


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thank you all so much for reading, commenting and leaving kudos! All are very much appreciated. More soon! xx

Winter was so beautiful at Hogwarts. Though the air was so bitterly cold that icicles hung from the low ceilings in the dungeons and walking to Herbology was pure torture, Remus could think of nothing so glorious as looking at the snow beginning to slowly cover the rooves of the castle, feeling it crunch under his feet, the heat of his bedpan on his blankets and the cosy Gryffindor common room. It was nothing short of heavenly to wake up every morning and know that, just by being there, he was the luckiest person in the world.  
If only this gratefulness extended to every part of his life. Remus felt as if he had begun to drag a weight around inside his chest, a pile of rocks pressing down on his heart. Despite his joy, he found himself dragging his feet around school, operating as if he was on autopilot. He handed in work, performed his prefect duties, read by candlelight and forced himself to laugh along with James and the others. But still-it was as if he was experiencing everything in a bubble, slightly far off, slightly cut out. As if he had somehow gone numb. 

Still-Remus soldiered on, praying that this feeling would pass. He wrapped his cloak tighter around his shoulders as he continued on his nightly patrol of the corridors. Prefect duty was sometimes a complete pain-he wanted nothing more than the warmth of his blankets and the softness of his pillow. Only half an hour to go, he supposed…he rounded the corner, past the statue of Emeric the Evil, working his way upwards through the castle. 

He had been feeling so strange lately. Although dinner had been steak and kidney pie, one of his favourites, he had merely pushed his portion around his plate, unable to summon the energy to bring his fork to his mouth. In the end, Peter had eaten it for him. Still he did not feel hungry-though he was sure that if someone presented him with a large slab of chocolate he would not say no. like the snow on the castle roof, chocolate remained one of the greatest pleasures in Remus’s life. As he darted around another corner, picking up his pace, he wondered whether-

“Shit!” 

Remus jumped a mile backwards as he almost collided with a dark-haired boy, who had appeared seemingly out of nowhere from the adjoining corridor. 

“Moony? What in the name of Merlin’s saggy left bollock are you doing here?” As the boy looked up, sweeping his long hair out of his face, Remus realised that it was Sirius. He gave a bark-like laugh of relief, rolling his eyes. Remus managed to smile back, as his heart inexplicably skipped several beats. He put it down to the surprise. “Oh no, you’re not on duty, are you?” Sirius’s smile became teasing. “Going to turn me in? Put me in detention?”

“I should,” said Remus, rolling his eyes and trying to catch his breath. “What are you doing out at this time?”

Sirius suddenly looked rather shifty. “I-I just fancied a walk. The corridors are quite nice at night aren’t they? When they’re not full of first years with huge bags.”

Remus felt the corner of his eye narrow-he was unconvinced by this. Still, as he looked into Sirius’s dark, handsome eyes, he found that he did not care why it was that Sirius was out of bed alone after curfew. He was just glad that he was. 

“Sick of James moaning about bloody Snivellus and Evans, and Peter snuffling and scratching in his sleep like a rat,” Sirius was saying. “Needed some air, you know?”

“Yes,” Remus nodded understandingly. “I am not sure which is the worse.” 

Sirius grinned, showing a lot of his perfect sharp white teeth. “Funny. I swear you’re the only normal one sometimes.”

“Ironic, really,” said Remus breezily. “Says a lot about our friends that the “normal” one transforms into a hideous beast once a month.”

Sirius laughed again, that bark-like “HA!” that Remus liked so much. It seemed to warm him in a way that his cloak never could. It was easy to be dismissive of his condition with his friends-Remus doubted even now that they really understood how terrible the Other was. Perhaps that was why they did not judge him for it-perhaps, if their plans worked out and they saw the true terror of the beast, they would all leave him…

“You’d better get back to Gryffindor Tower,” said Remus reluctantly. “I won’t turn you in-“

“Hooray for friend perks. Cheers.”

“-but you’d better be quick. I saw Mrs Norris scuttling around here earlier-you don’t want to incur the wrath of Filch again. Hear he’s sworn that if he catches you or James once more, he’ll get out the old chains and whips.”

“Kinky,” Sirius winked-but he rolled his eyes. “Don’t really fancy it. Hey-can I come with you? You’ve got to be nearly done by this time.”

Remus felt the pull of temptation in his chest-he could think of nothing he wanted to do more than to finish his rounds with Sirius by his side. But, like a cold shower,  
responsibility took over. “I can’t, mate. I really can’t push it any more with you and James. You all know why Dumbledore gave me the badge-and I’m not exerting any amount of control over you at all.” 

Sirius raised an eyebrow. “This is just getting kinkier by the moment,” But he looked a little put-out-Sirius had never taken a “no” well in his life. It only ever made him more determined. “Come on, don’t be boring, Moony. Live a little.” 

“Trust me, I want to-“ Remus caught himself before he said anything that could be misconstrued. “But considering what you three are currently trying to achieve right under Dumbledore’s nose, I really can’t stretch his trust any thinner.”

Sirius shook his head, beginning to look agitated. “Dumbledore will never know-look, stop being such a teacher’s pet. It’s not a big deal-I just needed some air, alright?” 

“Look, I don’t want to, but-“

“What’s that, my sweet? Something over here?” Creeping footsteps had started towards them from the adjoining corridor-accompanied by the soft pattering of feline paws. 

Remus and Sirius both jumped at the sound of Filch’s voice-and began to quietly panic. “Oh crap.” Sirius seized Remus by the sleeve and yanked him back around the corner. He rushed him over to the statue of Emeric the Evil and squeezed in behind it. “Cover me, alright?” Instantly, Remus leaned casually against the front of the statue, camouflaging any visible way to see the boy crouching behind it. He tried to slow the adrenaline pumping through his veins as the place on his forearm Sirius had grabbed began to pulse, feeling warm and strange. 

“Who’s there?” came the croak-like wheeze of the caretaker, who held up his lantern to his face. Around his shins, a cat crept forth, hissing suspiciously at Remus. 

“Lupin, sir,” Remus answered politely. “Just finishing up for the night.” 

Filch gave a disbelieving snort. “Up to your old tricks, covering for one of your troublemaker friends, are you?”

“No, sir!” Behind him, he heard Sirius give a silent snigger. 

“Hmph…” Filch shuffled forward, seemingly sniffing the air. “Ought to take that badge from you myself…Back in the good old days I’d have had the four of you hanging by your ankles in the dungeons…that’d teach you…wouldn’t be throwing no dungbombs after a night of that…no sneaking out of bed, no sir…teach you some respect…” As he muttered to himself, he moved past the statue-even Mrs Norris, after hesitating for a long moment, bypassed them both, keen to keep up with her master. Remus watched, acting as casually as he could-before letting out a huge sigh of relief when his lantern ducked out of sight around the corner. 

“Bloody hell, Moony, you are the worst liar I have ever met!” Sirius emerged from his hiding place, in fits of silent laughter. “Yes sir, no sir!” he mocked, in a reasonable imitation of Remus' polite "taking to adults" tone. 

“Shut up-get to bed!” Remus shooed him away, regathering his composure. “That cat will be back here before you know it!” 

“God, I hate cats,” Sirius grumbled-but he seemed resolved now. “See you later, mate. Thanks for covering. Can always count on you, can’t I?”

“Sure.” Remus nodded, watching as his friend began to slope away in the opposite direction to Filch. Sirius turned, and gave a final half-wave of farewell, before disappearing into the darkness. Remus was left, his heart racing, feeling as if he had just lost something of himself, but was unsure exactly what...Still-soon, the numbness returned, and on he waded through this new fog of monotony.


End file.
